http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11179173Phillip Garrido--the man who allegedly kidnapped and held Jaycee Dugard for 18 years--also apparently thought he could speak with G-d through a black box he invented.
Neighbors who knew Garrido say he was a bit odd -- but they didn't think he was dangerous.
When a call came from out of the blue early last year, the man on the line identified himself as Phil Garrido. He was calling private investigator Ralph Hernandez.
Part of the interview:
Interviewer: And what was he like in that time you spent with him?
Hernandez: Way much more different than what you're seeing on the latest news broadcasts. He was like you and I are right here. He was speaking normal, dressed normal, acting normal.
Of course we now know that when Garrido placed that call-- 11-year old Jaycee Lee Dugard had been missing for 17 years, and that she was now 28 years-old, and investigators say had fathered two daughters with her while they were allegedly living in secret behind his house.
So why would Garrido be calling a private investigator? He needed help, he said; Convincing people he had an extraordinary invention.
He had developed and invented a device that would allow a person to speak without physically speaking, and be heard by the listener.
People who know him say in recent years, Garrido had been talking more and more about God and the apocalypse. He demonstrated the device--a black box with headphones--to Tim Allen, a local businessman.
Interviewer: He told you he was starting a new religion and had some revelation from God?
Allen: Yep, and he also had a box, and when he first brought it in--you can hear voices from the other side-- you can hear people telling you what's going to happen -- and what the future says.
Until recently, only a handful of people had seen the box. Some say he became obsessed with his so-called invention.
The device is basically just a black case--with a handle and a couple of couple of input jacks. It is also very light.
It turns out just a few days before Garrido was arrested for his alleged crimes Dugard, he asked a friend to keep the box for him. His friend wants to remain anonymous.
Anonymous friend: He plugged into it. He would give you a set of headphones, and he would have a set of headphones and he would manipulate his hand over the top of box and would have sound coming out of it, emitting sound, like distortions, like whales...all sorts of little interference noises-- while he would move his lips and not speak yet, and move his lips and you would be able to hear his voice-through the headphones.
Topic: The woman who was kidnapped for 18 yrs emerges (Read 1870 times)